Hot-water heater



April 19, 1949. c. A. LINDEN 2,467,837

HOT WATER HEATER Filed Aug. 29, 1947 INVENTOR. 647'] Z in Jew.

Patented Apr. 19, 1949 2,467,837 HOT-WATER HEA'TER Carl A. Linden, Ferndale, Mich., assignor to Harold E. Nofz, Detroit, Mich.

Application August 29, 1947, Serial No. 771,185

This invention relates generally to a hot water heater and more particularly to an improved immersion-type heating unit for such heater.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a novel heating unit for a hot water heater which is immersible in water within the tank of said heater; to provide a heating unit of the aforementioned type which extends substantially the length of such tank, in contact with the water therein, so as to heat the same in a more efficient, rapid and inexpensive manner; to provide a heating unit of the aforementioned type in which the outer electrode thereof forms a closed chamber, in which is disposed an inner electrode, which is immersed in an electrically conductive liquid carried in the lower portion of the outer electrode so as to generate steam within said closed chamber for heating the surrounding water; to provide a heating unit of the aforementioned type in which the water within the tank will condense the steam generated within the closed heating unit chamber, whereby steam will be constantly generated and condensed within said closed chamber so that the heating unit can run for a long period of time without requiring replenishment of the conductive liquid; to provide a heating unit of the aforementioned type in which the conductive liquid may be merely boiled water; to provide a heating unit of the aforementioned type in which the heat generated by the steam is not a destructive heat and will not cause water deterioration or tank corrosion; to provide generally an improved hot-water heater which is especially efficient and inexpensive to operate.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a hotwater heater of this invention, partiall broken away so as to better illustrate the component parts thereof; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the heating unit of this invention taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that an upstanding hot-Water heater 3 is provided which includes a water storage tank 5, in which the Water to be heated is disposed. A con.- ventional housing surrounds and supports the tank 5, and insulating material 8 is disposed between the tank and the housing I. A conventional cold-water inlet 9 extends downwardly through the top wall of the tank for filling the 2 Claims. (Cl. 219-40) same. A hot-water outlet ll, likewise extends downwardly through the top wall of the tank 5 for carrying hot water therefrom. A drain pipe I3 is provided in the bottom of the tank 5 to permit draining of the same. An immersion-type heating unit, indicated at I5, is supported in the top wall of the tank 5, and extends downwardly therefrom, substantially the length of the tank, as will be brought out in detail below.

The heating unit 15 comprises a metallic tube H, which extends downwardly from the upper end of the tank 5 to a point adjacent the lower end thereof. The tube I1 is made of a suitable electrically conductive material, such as brass, so as to form one electrode of the heating unit. The lower end of the brass tube i1 is sealingly enclosed by means of a plate [9. Disposed within the tubular electrode I1 is a brass rod 2|, which forms the second electrode of the heating unit. An insulating disc 23 is secured to the lower end of the brass rod 2| by means of a screw 25, so as to maintain the lower end of the brass rod 2| centrally with respect to the tubular electrode I1 and act as an insulator therebetween.

Disposed in the lower portion of the tubular electrode I! is a vaporizable, electrically con ductive liquid 21. The liquid herein illustrated, and preferably used with this unit, is boiled water which is capable of conducting a flow of electricity from the inner eelctrode 2| to the outer electrode l1. By boiling the water, chlorine and some of the other impurities are removed so as to reduce the corrosive tendencies thereohrbut the water will still have sufiicient conductivity to permit the flow of electrical current therethrough.

The upper end of the outer tubular electrode I1 is sealingly secured, such as by brazing or the like, to a metallic collar 29. The collar 29, in turn, has its lower end externally threaded at 3 I, and threadably received in the top wall of the tank 5. The upper end of the collar 29 is internally threaded at 35. An end cap 31 is threaded in the upper end of collar 29 so as to sealingly close the upper end of the outer tubular electrode I1 and thereby provide a closed chamber in which the conductive liquid 21 is disposed. The end cap 31 is centrally apertured and tapped at 39 and a vertically extending insulating elements M is sealingly threaded therein. The insulating element 4! extends both above and below the end cap 31. A stud 43, having its lower end threaded into the upper end of the inner rodlike electrode 2 I, extends upwardly through and is supported in the insulating element 4| in a suitable manner.

The upper end of th stud 43 is connected in a conventional manner to an electrical conduit 41, of the electrical supply circuit, leading to a fuse box or the like. The other electrical conduit 49, of the electrical circuit, is connected to the collar 29 by a cap screw 5! so as to be connected to the outer electrode i7 and grounded to the hotwater tank 5. The electrodes of the heating unit are thus easily connected to the electrical supply lines so that the current flows from the inner electrode 2|, through the conductin liquid 27 to the outer electrode II, and then is grounded through the tank 5. In this way, the liquid 21 is heated and steam is generated which will flow upwardly within the tubular electrode I? so as to heat the same throughout its length. The steam is condensed by the water in the tank 5, and the condensed globules will drop down into the lower portion of the tubular electrode I! where they will be regenerated into steam. In this way a constant generating and condensing of the steam is efiected so that a constant liquid level will be maintained within the closed chamber. The collar 29 is provided with a tapped aperture 55, for use in filling the tubular electrode ll, and a threaded plug 5'! is provided for sealingly closing the aperture. As the steam is constantly being .condensed in the closed chamber, the liquid 21 therein will not evaporate or be otherwise dissipated, so that additional water need be added only at extremely rare intervals, if at all. The current consumption of the heating unit can be controlled by the amount of immersion of the rodlike electrode 2| in the liquid 21, so that any suitable current consumption may be obtained.

As the tubular electrode I 7 extends substantially the length of the hot-water tank 5, it will be readily apparent that the water within the tank will be rapidly and efiiciently heated in a relatively inexpensive manner. In order to control the temperature of the water within the tank, r a suitable thermostat 59 is provided which is supported in the side wall of the tank and which extends into the interior thereof, The thermostat 59 is connected by suitable electrical conduits in series with the heating unit l-5, so as to shut oif the heating unit when the water within the tank: reaches a predetermined temperature.

It will thus be seen that a hot-water heater is provided, which employs an improved and novel-type heating unit which is especially inexpensive and efiicient in operation, and which will require little attention, if any, over a long period of time.

I claim:

1. A liquid heating device including in com- .bination the tank containing liquid to be heated,

an immersion-type heating unit supported in the top wall of said tank and extending downwardly substantially the length thereof, said heating unit including a metallic tube extending downwardly from the upper end of said tank substantially the length thereof and forming one electrode of said heating unit, which is adapted to be connected to, a source. of electric current, plate means seallngly secured to the bottom of said tube so as to close. the same, a vaporizable electrically conductive liquid disposed in the lower portion of said tubular electrode, a rodlike second electrode disposed within said tubular electrode and having the lower end thereof immersed in said conductive liquid, insulating means secured to the lower end of said second electrode so as to maintain said lower end in spaced relation to said tubular electrode, collar means sealingly secured to the upper end of said tubular electrode and sealingly secured in the top wall of said tank so as to support said tubular electrode within said tank, cap means sealingly secured to the upper end of said collar means so as to sealingly close the upper end of said tubular electrode and provide a closed chamber within which said conductive liquid is disposed, insulating means supported in said cap means, and terminal means connected to the upper end of said second rodlike electrode and extending upwardly through and supported in said insulating means, said terminal means being adapted to be connected to a source of electric current, and said collar means being adapted to be connected to the source of electric current.

2. A liquid heating device including a tank containing liquid to be heated, liquid inlet means for fillin said tank, liquid outlet means through which liquid can be removed from said tank, a heating unit supported in the top wall of said tank and extending downwardly substantially the length thereof, said heatin unit including a tubular electrode extending downwardly from the top wall of said tank substantially the length of the latter, a platelike element sealingly secured to the bottom of said tubular electrode so as to sealingly close the same, a vaporizable electrically conductive liquid disposed in the lower portion of said tubular electrode, a second rodlike electrode disposed in said tubular electrode and having the lower end thereof immersed in said conductive liquid, an insulating disc secured to the lower end of said rodlike electrode so as to maintain said lower end in spaced relation with respect to said tubular electrode, collar means sealingly secured to the upper end of said tubular electrode and threadably connected in the top wall of said tank, cap means secured to the upper end of said collar means so as to sealingly close the upper end of said tubular electrode and provide a closed chamber for said conductive liquid, insulating means sealingly secured in said cap means, terminal means connected to the upper end of said rodlike electrode and extending upwardly through and supported by said insulating means and adapted to be connected to a source of electric current, terminal means connected to said tubular electrode and grounded to said tank and adapted to be connected to the source of electric current, thermostat means for controlling the temperature of the liquid to be heated and connected in series with said heating unit electrodes.

CARL A. LINDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Lou et a1., Jour. Sci. Inst, May, 1944, page 88. 

